Apparatus for the movement of blood by external pressure

Abstract

A program of regular vascular exercise involves repeating cycles of blood movement obtained by seating the user in the base portion of the apparatus and clamping a top member shell to the base portion. Under the user's control pressurizing apparatus, controlled by a microcomputer based timing arrangement, inflates and deflates a series of pressure cuffs around each limb to provide a peristaltic-like action which forces blood toward the trunk of the body.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for the movement of blood as a vascular exercise program, including: (a) a base member having a seat portion adapted to receive the buttocks of the user and two elongated leg channels adapted to receive the back portions of the user's legs;   (b) a top member having two elongated leg channels adapted to receive the front portions of the user's legs;   (c) clamp means operable to join the base and top members for a selected period of time to enclose the user's legs and then to release the base and top members;   (d) leg pressure applying means in said leg channels to selectively apply pressure to the user's legs in a peristaltic sequence;   (e) a pair of tubular arm members adapted to receive the user's arms; and   (f) arm pressure applying means in said arm members to selectively apply pressure to the user's arms in a peristaltic sequence;   (g) wherein said arm members are mounted on said top member.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said top member includes a rigid shell. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said leg and arm pressure applying means comprise a plurality of inflatable bladders. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said pressure applying means consist of at least four of said bladders adapted to be applied to each limb. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pressure applying means each comprises a plurality of inflatable bladder pressure cuffs and actuating means, said actuating means comprising for each said pressure cuff a separate solenoid controlled pressurizing valve and a separate solenoid controlled venting valve coupled to a respective inlet and outlet of said pressure cuff, a pressure regulated source of pressurized air coupled to all of said pressurizing valves, a vacuum container coupled to all of said venting valves, and program means for actuating said valves in a controlled sequence. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 1 and further including pressure applying means positioned on said seat portion, to selectively apply pressure to the user'buttocks. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said seat pressure applying means is an air bladder, and further including means to pulse the bladder of said seat pressure applying means with bursts of air pressure. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as in claim 1 and further including two foot holding means on said base member proximate the end of said base leg channels to hold the user's feet. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said clamp means includes a hinge proximate the foot holding means joining said top member and said base member. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein each of said foot holding means includes an inflatable bladder to selectively apply pressure to the user's feet. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said foot holding means are each slidably mounted on said base member to adjust for the length of the user's legs. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said arm members are mounted on a carriage which is slidably mounted on said top member. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus as in claim 12 and further including a bar extending perpendicular to the direction of sliding motion, positioned proximate the open ends of the arm members and adapted to be held by the user's hands while the user's arms extend within the arm members. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus for the exercise of user's vascular system by selectively moving blood from the limbs, including: (a) a base member adapted to rest on a floor and having a seat portion configured to receive user's buttocks;   (b) two elongated leg channels on the base member adapted to receive the back portion of user's legs;   (c) a top member having a rigid shell and two elongated leg channels adapted to receive user's back leg portions;   (d) a plurality of inflatable elongated bladder means mounted in each of said leg channels to apply pressure to the legs in a predetermined sequence and to be inflated to hold pressure on the legs for a predetermined time period;   (e) clamp means to removably join the base and top members;   (f) a pair of tubular arm members, each having a rigid tubular shell;   (g) a plurality of doughnut-shaped inflatable bladder means within each tubular shell to apply peristaltic pressure to the arms and to be inflated to hold pressure on the arms for a predetermined time period;   (h) pressure control means comprising a vacuum source, a pressure source including an air pump, a microcomputer based control system, and air lines and vacuum lines connecting each of said bladders to the pressure source and vacuum source respectively;   (i) wherein the arm members are mounted on a carriage, the carriage being slidingly mounted on the top member.   
     
     
       15. Apparatus as in claim 14 and further including an inflatable bladder mounted on the seat portion and connected to the pressure source and vacuum source. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus as in claim 14 and further including, associated with each bladder, a solenoid controlled pressure valve connected to an air line and a solenoid controlled vacuum valve connected to a vacuum line. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus as in claim 14 and further including two foot holding means on said base member proximate the end of said base leg channels to hold the user's feet. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein each of said foot holding means includes an inflatable bladder to selectly apply pressure to the user's feet. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said clamp means includes a hinge proximate the foot holding means joining said top member and said base member. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said foot holding means are each slidably mounted on said base member to adjust for the length of the user's legs. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus as in claim 14 and further including a bar extending perpendicular to the direction of sliding motion, positioned proximate the open ends of the arm members and adapted to be held by the user's hands while the user's arms extend within the arm members.